Ryszard Horowitz Photocomposer

Ryszard Horowitz (b.1939) is recognized and celebrated as a pioneer of special effects photography that predates digital imaging.

“I assemble together my seemingly unrelated images, taken at different times, in distant parts of the world and create seamless compositions. I want all the elements to appear in the same space frozen in time.” – Ryszard Horowitz

“He prefers to be called a “Photocomposer” but whatever he is called, whether photocomposer or photographer, Ryszard Horowitz is one of America’s outstanding image makers. Long before the availability of Photoshop and other digital imaging tools, Horowitz was creating complex, technically difficult photographic composites. He has a powerful aesthetic sense with his subjects using contrasting elements in the relationships within his compositions. Consistently, his favorite theme is ambiguity. He connects subjects in his imagery in a dream-like setting, one that never could appear in reality but one that perceptually the viewer wants to force to be real. His dramatic sense of composition consistently makes a strong blending of the subject to the frame.”

Ryszard Horowitz was born in Krakow, Poland on May 5th 1939. Four months later, the Nazis invaded his homeland. Ryszard and his entire family underwent separation and were forced into concentration camps. Miraculously, most of Ryszard's family survived the horrors at the forced labor ghetto camps and concentration camps, including Auschwitz. They survived, in part, due to the help of Oskar Schindler. At the war's end, five-year old Ryszard was reunited with his family. They were amongst the few Jewish families who were able to re-establish their lives in Krakow. Ryszard is one of the youngest known survivors of Auschwitz.

Selected highlights of Ryszard Horowitz’s career:

• 1956: 17-year old Ryszard leverages an opportunity during a brief political and cultural thaw when the Polish government subsidizes new and original art forms. Krakow emerges as a center of avant-garde jazz, painting, theater and filmmaking.

• 1959: Immigrates to the United States and enrolls at Pratt Institute and apprentices with Alexey Brodovitch.

• 1963: Works as an assistant for Richard Avedon and an art director for Grey Advertising.

• 1967: Opens his own photography studio in New York City.

• 2008: Gloria Artis Gold Medal of Merit to Culture awarded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Poland